When the crowds disperse, after the memorials to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg end, I hope that there will be one take away that will remain at the forefront of our collective minds. “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” She says, “Anger, resentment, envy. These are emotions that just sap your energy. Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade.”
I have seemingly taken a hiatus from writing as the pandemic has enveloped my little family and separated us from the World. I mostly retracted from watching the news. It was all just too much. The World. The Country. The Anger. The Fear of what is to come. It has felt suffocating and first and foremost, I didn’t want my daughter to add fear to her list of things that she will remember about 2020. So, Disney 24/7 it is. That is not to say that I didn’t find a way to sneak news in here and there; Facebook, news apps, word of mouth and my wonderful (now Zoom) bookclub meetings. But I would be amiss to allow the passing of one of the most remarkable women of our time to go unnoticed.
Andrew Jackson said that the country was not ready for a woman judge, nor was he. I am so glad that his voice was replaced with that of Justice Ginsburg. I hope that her vision of “enough” will be seen in my lifetime, when every seat in the Highest Court is held by a woman.
Changing the face of a Nation
I have been awestruck by the things that Justice Ginsburg accomplished. I’ve been equally astounded by how unaware I was, as to how far women have come in such a short amount of time with her help. Until her death, I had no idea that a woman was unable to sign a mortgage or get a bank loan without a man co-signing, much less even open a bank account without a man. This all changed in 1974. A mere 46 years ago. No longer could an application ask if a woman had children, planned to have children or was able to discount her wage earnings by as much as 50 percent to account for their ability to repay a loan. That just boggles my mind. 46 years. Life as we know it would not be, were it not for Justice Ginsburg. Her wins did not stop at victories where women are concerned. Men are able to receive widower’s benefits from Social Security now and be added to their wife’s health insurance. The FMLA Act that we all know so well was championed by her. She was not just for women’s rights but for human rights.
Passion and purpose is what I want to seek for myself and also what I hope to instill in my daughter as vital to her living a fulfilled life. RBG is known for finding her passion and purpose in fighting for women’s rights. Persistence is key and she always persisted.
Lessons taught over a lifetime
A lesson worth learning, is that you can fundamentally disagree with someone to the core and still love them. Justice Ginsburg and Justice Scalia were “best buddies” as they often told people. Their families spent holidays together as well as vacationing together. In today’s climate, more and more people are finding that they disagree with their friends and even their family. People are walking away from each other because they disagree politically.
While I stand by my belief that moral fortitude truly matters, I believe that deep down there is good in everyone. People’s beliefs and values may not align 100 percent but don’t we all really want the same thing? People want their families to do well, their children to get a good education, to be paid a fare wage and to be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor in whatever way that makes their soul soar. They want to feel safe, loved and valued. And I refuse to believe that the hate filled comments, name calling amongst peers and friends, along with memes that I’ve seen circulating on Social Media are indicative of who we are as a nation. Never in my life could I have thought to doctor a photo of a deceased statesman, raising his hand toward a newly deceased Justice with the words, “Don’t worry. It’s a dry heat.”. I stand firm that I will teach my child to respect her elders, the deceased and that a difference of opinion doesn’t mean you can not love someone or befriend them. I will also teach her that it is possible that she has never considered their views, nor they hers. Everyone gets to where they are by walking a different path and through a lifetime of different experiences.
“I wish there was a way I could wave a magic wand and put back when people were respectful of each other and the Congress was working for the good of the country and not just along party lines. Someday there will be great people, great elected representatives who will say, ‘enough of this nonsense, let’s be the kind of legislature the United States should have.’ I hope that day will come when I’m still alive.”, Justice Ginsburg at Stanford Law School 2017. Until then, I will remind my daughter to always remember the things that matter to her and remain positive because “as a girl thinketh, so is she.” It took Justice Ginsburg a lifetime of hard work to accomplish her mission. I will remind my daughter, as I remind myself, to fight for what matters to her but to do it in a way that will lead others to join her. We all can have a little of RBG’s spirit in us. Ladies and Gentleman…keep fighting the good fight!!!
Recent Comments